This invention relates generally to infant and baby products and, more particularly, to an apparatus configured for entertaining an infant, for maintaining the safe position of the infant, and for enabling a caregiver to monitor the baby's position and well-being from a distance remote from the actual position of the baby.
The benefits and necessity of entertaining an infant are well known. Providing lights, sounds, mirrors, and play things are educational and comforting to an infant as well as an aid to a caregiver by keeping the infant's attention occupied for significant periods of time without direct involvement of the care giver. In addition, the position of an infant must be monitored at all times that he is on the floor or bed so as not to crawl, scoot, or roll into an area of danger, such as near a staircase, fireplace, or other area of danger. Still further, a caregiver often needs to monitor a baby's location and wellbeing from another room or from a distance.
Various devices have been proposed in the prior art for entertaining an infant, such as a mobile with hanging playthings, music players, and other electronic devices. Further, devices for holding or containing an infant away from a danger area are known, such as a swing, bouncy seat, or playpen. Finally, devices for conveying sounds from an area surrounding a baby to a monitoring device in another room are known. Although assumably effective for their intended use, there is no apparatus that monitors a baby's position on the floor using sensors, that associates particular sensors with particularly positioned speakers, and that is adjustably positioned to selectively surround a baby or to enable the baby freedom to move away from the apparatus.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have an apparatus for use in monitoring the position of an infant, selectively containing the infant, and entertaining the infant that overcomes the limitations of the prior products and patent proposals.